In the Shadow of Mcclellan: the Army of the Potomac and the Struggle for High Command 1861-1863

The Union struggled to achieve an effective high command during the first two years of the American Civil War. Much of the Union?s military attention in the first two years of the war was focused near Washington where General McClellan commanded the Army of the Potomac. McClellan intended to defeat the Confederacy by capturing Richmond. This failed and he was eventually sacked by President Lincoln. McClellan?s sacking provoked a revolt among senior officers in this army which sought to return McClellan to command. This revolt reveals much about the Union as it tried to establish a system of high command. The study of Union?s high command and Union strategy has been neglected in favour of the study of battles and generals. This book attempts to redress the imbalance and explore whether the Union had the high command in place to provide the framework for victory.